NIAGARA FALLS — CHECK IT OUT: To learn more about ChrisFit Personal Training, 2423 Hyde Park Blvd., call 818-0078 or visit www.chrisfit.net.



If you are a regular reader to this column, a reference to my “Green Lantern” shirt hopefully brings back memories of a personal victory I had earlier in my training program. The superhero shirt hanging in my closet had long been a symbol of my inability to lose a lot of weight, or at least enough pounds to proudly wear it in public without stretching it out like a rubber band.

After a couple of months at ChrisFit Personal Training, the shirt fit comfortably and became evidence that all my hard work was paying off.

But there’s a different green shirt that proved to mean a lot more. Ironically, it isn’t one that I’ve been trying to fit into, but one I was trying to get out of.

It is a shirt that I got for being on the company’s softball team about five years ago, which coincided with my heaviest point. Our team was sponsored by Porter’s Pub in the city of Tonawanda so complementing the green color was a large three-leaf clover across the front.

I remember the embarrassing day I had to give my 3X size order — the largest size available — to our team captain, and then my fear when all of the shirts arrived and I silently hoped it would be big enough. Luckily, it fit well enough to not let any of me spill out while running to first base.

Even after softball season, that shirt became my “go to” whenever I needed to wear something short sleeved for any type of physical activity.

Naturally, I wore it on my first day of training at ChrisFit. And then again on most training days — after being washed of course! Porter’s Pub was certainly getting a lot of free advertising inside the walls of ChrisFit.

It didn’t take a long time for the green shirt to start looking a little silly as I squatted, benched and “Prowlered” my way to a smaller physique. The short sleeves almost covered my entire arms, the collar was two sizes too big and the bottom piece of fabric that had once hugged my waist now ended closer to my knees.

But for some reason, I kept wearing it to the gym. I could not shake the fear that if I started wearing a smaller-sized shirt, I would jinx my progress and stop losing weight.

It wasn’t until after the New Year when I finally realized that not only would I need to replace the green Porter’s shirt, but most of my wardrobe.

So my wife Nicole and I went clothes shopping! I use the exclamation point not out of excitement, but to stress how out of the ordinary the outing was. It should come as no surprise, but I hate shopping for clothes.

That’s probably because in the past, I was left with few options not only on what to buy but also where to shop. Casual Male XL Big and Tall was my one-stop shop (and 5-foot-6 isn’t very tall).

As we left that morning, I was resigned to the fact that a trip to Casual Male for dress pants and jeans would still be necessary, since most other stores don’t carrying larger sizes. However, I felt confident there were plenty of other locations I could now find dress shirts and T-shirts in my new size.

And then the unexpected happened.

Much like all those months ago when my desire talked me into trying on the Green Lantern shirt before it was time, I spotted a few pairs of dress pants I liked at one of the “regular” clothing stores. Their largest size was still about five sizes lower than what I took off the rack the last time I went shopping.

Still, I decided to at least try them on.

They fit perfectly. Five sizes lower — that’s about 10 inches off the waist alone.

For the first time in my life, clothes shopping was not only bearable, but exciting.

Putting away my new purchases later that night, I debated what to do with the green Porter’s shirt and the rest of the XXL items still hanging up. In the past, I would refuse to throw them away while trying to lose weight in case I gained it back.

This time, I got rid of every last piece of plus-sized clothing.

I will never need them again.

Contact Rick Forgione at 282-2311, ext. 2257.